Check a VAT number
Is the VAT number of your business customer or supplier valid? This check asks VIES directly, the official system of the European Commission.
Enter a VAT number, for example NL123456789B01 or BE0123456789. The check usually takes a few seconds.
What a VAT number looks like
- Netherlands: NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits, for example NL123456789B01.
- Belgium: BE + the 10-digit enterprise number, for example BE0123456789.
- Germany: DE + 9 digits. France: FR + 2 characters + 9 digits. Greece uses EL instead of GR.
Since Brexit, British VAT numbers (GB) are no longer in VIES. Only businesses in Northern Ireland have an XI number for goods, which you can check here.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check a VAT number?+
Enter the number with the country code in front, for example NL123456789B01 or BE0123456789. This tool checks it with VIES, the official system of the European Commission, and shows whether the number is valid and whose name it is registered to (if the country shares that).
Why should I check a VAT number?+
If you invoice a business customer in another EU country without VAT (reverse charge, intra-Community supply), you must be able to prove that the VAT number was valid. If it is invalid, the Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst) can still charge you the VAT afterwards. So keep the date of your check.
Why don’t I see a name or address?+
Not every country shares the name and address through VIES. Germany, for example, shares neither, and some countries share only the name. The number can still be valid.
What does "VIES unavailable" mean?+
VIES fetches the data live from each country’s tax authority. If that is temporarily unavailable (which happens regularly), we can’t check the number. Try again a few minutes later.
What is the difference between a VAT number and a turnover tax number?+
In the Netherlands you have two numbers. The VAT identification number (VAT number, NL…B..) goes on your invoices and website; that’s the one you check here. You only use the separate turnover tax number (omzetbelastingnummer) in contact with the Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst).
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